The Empire Strips Back Dancers & Comedian, Burlesque Meets Sci-fi

On this episode of On the Rocks, we got to a galaxy far, far, away with cast members from the wildly popular sci-fi burlesque show, The Empire Strips Back. We chat with dancers/performers Jazmine Gregory, Jonas Suber Jr, and Cassandra Merwood about the dance industry, body image, and their experience in this show. We also chat with comedian/actor Charlie Wilson about mental health, the comedy industry, and love and dating...with your host the sassy most Alexander Rodriguez. Raise a glass, it's On the Rocks!

Episode Transcript

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Speaker 3 (01:00):
To an expert straw Media. Hello on the Rockers in
the Galaxy, Far Far Away with Cats, members from the
Hottest burd Left Show Around the Empire, Strips Back with
performers and dancers Jasmine Gregory, Cassandra Merywood and Jonah super
Junior with comedian and actor Charlie Wilson. And meet your
sassy host but the sassy most Raise a glass with
the drinks begin. It's on the Rocks, Go to hyperspace

(01:27):
You life is a banquet and most more suckers are
starving today.

Speaker 4 (01:33):
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This is on the Rocks, Alexander, where I drink with
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(01:59):
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(02:21):
for free. Yes, yeah, you can watch us on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon, Fire,
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magazine That I Love LGBTQ, streaming with Pride on SVTV
and on Channel thirty one on the East Coast. Tellaweast Coast.
We probably tape at UBMG studios. You're once got plays
for podcasting. Let's get the show on the road. The
Empire Strips Back has taken the globe by storm and

(02:43):
has returned to Los Angeles for sold out runs. The
show is burlesque meets star wars meets comedy. It's been
critically acclaimed and fans have gone crazy, transporting audiences to
a world of burlesque fantasy, of menacing and sexy dance,
of dangerous seduction, of hilarious parody, and even the druid
you're looking for. Your favorite characters are skintily clad, seriously pultry,

(03:04):
and live on stage. The Emperor Strips Back celebrates a
resurgence of burlesque while delivering a fun and rowdy experience
for fans of the art form as well as the
classic film series. It's truly unique and I've seen so
many shows in my time. It's dazzling and today we
are lucky to have some of the cast members. Please welcome.
Jasmine Gregory is currently going to school to get her

(03:25):
degree in dance. She has trained in jazz, hip hop,
lyrical funk umfandala which I don't know what that is,
but we're gonna find out, and a bard apparatus dancer.
She's also a teacher and mentor and works with groups
of all ages. Please welcome Jasmin Gregory. Fun what about
of hair though, I mean, can we just give a
mom to that hair? Yup yup? Here myself adding some

(03:48):
flair to the role of Han solo. Jonah super Junior
is an actor, dancer, and choreographer hailing from Texas, Yeha.
He has worked with many recording artists, including Beyonce Ferral,
The Weekend Janelle Monet and Katie Perry. He's been seen
on TV and the big screen, including appearances in Disney's
Black Is King, Hulse, East Lost, High, The Mass Singer,
CW's All American Homecoming, Ghostbusters and more. Look At That Body, Addy,

(04:09):
Audio Audio Audi, Please welcome Jonah Schumer Junior. Cassandra Marwood.
Heils from down Under, Australia. She's a dancer, choreographer, movement
director and founder of Mission Stiletto. She's worked for major
brands like Virgin Eurovision, Sony Music, ABC, Squarespace and more.

(04:29):
She specializes in heels and commercial jazz and was actually
part of the Australian production of The Empire Strips Back.
Please welcome Cassandra. In Last, but Certainly not Least Funny
Man Charlie Wilson, he serves as the show's Lando calrisian
of sorts in the Family and the MC, keeping the

(04:49):
audiences engaged. He has opened up for major headliners and
has produced his own shows across the nation. He's also
made appearances on the Wendy Williams show Yes I Have Questions.
He's lived in New York, LA and chick Cago, performing
at such a contic venue's like the Laugh Factory and
the Comedy Store. He also served as the host and
producer for Laugh After Dark's hit TV show you can
watch on Amazon Prime and two B and the podcast

(05:10):
version of it on YouTube. He also plays a supporting
role on Amazon Prime two Be's Dirty Cops. La. Please
welcome Charlie Wilson. Okay, before we get to the new Gray,
because your careers couldn't be more different, and then to
see you all unified on stage and there's so much
chemistry and it comes all together. So we're gonna talk

(05:32):
about all your different careers. But before we get down
to it, I want to know what was your experience
with because we got some young ones in the house,
what was your experience with Star Wars before auditioning for
the show.

Speaker 6 (05:46):
Well, for me, I come from a huge Star Wars stow. Okay,
like my uncle he is like one of the biggest
Star Wars people around. He would go every single weekend
to see it in the theater. So that's where my
love of Star Wars comes from. And then just seeing
that the show was even a thing, I was like
a no brainer. I was like I have to do this.
There's no way I like, I mean, everybody on the cast.

Speaker 7 (06:07):
Nos.

Speaker 6 (06:07):
Like I auditioned so many times and I was like,
this show will not go on without me. I just
kept showing up and they were like, I guess we
should let her in.

Speaker 8 (06:15):
But yeah, that's my experience.

Speaker 7 (06:19):
Star Wars. That's the thing with the life sabers Hard.

Speaker 3 (06:24):
We have all the nerds throwing things as a camera
right now.

Speaker 9 (06:28):
I'm kidding, But I did not even know that I
was auditioning for Star Wars.

Speaker 3 (06:34):
Did you think it was?

Speaker 9 (06:35):
It was a different job that I was auditioning for.
The quarak for It brought the job to me. I
was like, oh, this actually sounds kind of fun, and
I found out about the show.

Speaker 7 (06:44):
A little more.

Speaker 9 (06:44):
But yeah, Star Wars the actual movie.

Speaker 3 (06:48):
Did you have to sit down and watch it?

Speaker 9 (06:51):
I will get to that.

Speaker 7 (06:55):
Sorry sorry Star Wars fans.

Speaker 9 (06:57):
But I do love Luke Skywalker and all the characters
that go into you know, my character Hansty.

Speaker 7 (07:04):
I did do research on him.

Speaker 10 (07:05):
Okay, all right, all right, Yeah, I didn't really know
much about Star Wars before being in the show, and
I obviously watched the show, and it's great that you
can still connect with it that way. We were made
to watch episode four when I first joined, So I
have watched that, and yeah, that's my experience in connection
to Star Wars. But definitely doing the show, you like
get a love for it.

Speaker 3 (07:26):
Yeah, of course, of course.

Speaker 5 (07:28):
Yeah for me, you know, I've always been familiar with it.
You know, I have my family members that were were familiar.
But I felt like it was a challenge when I
got the role to host it because I was like,
I got to go back and do some research. So
I was like Disney plus you know, smoked a little bit.
Let's go, I'm binge watching all of the movies. So
I started, but you know you can watch in the
chronological order or order release. Yeah, so I think I

(07:48):
started with the release order.

Speaker 7 (07:50):
If I'm not mistaken.

Speaker 3 (07:51):
One is LANDA like, you have that swagger, you have
that energy, like you captured it so so well in
such a fun way. So I actlutly love that. But
when you heard the idea that we're gonna do Burtless
Star Wars, where you like, what the hell is this?

Speaker 7 (08:03):
Oh?

Speaker 3 (08:04):
I mean, it's such like like you think and then
you go see it and it's such an elevated experience.
It's not like some silly little pardy thing. It's an
art piece. It's like a full Vegas show with the dance,
the level of dance, it's not just.

Speaker 5 (08:17):
You know, until you come and see it or someone
tells you, you don't know really what to expect, you know,
because bur less, I feel like there's so many layers,
you know, so what's the context.

Speaker 7 (08:26):
But the production value it's great. Yeah, that's what a
lot of my friends said. The production value of it
is really really good.

Speaker 9 (08:31):
And not even me personally, I was like, oh wow,
like y'all want me to swinging on balls and shit.

Speaker 6 (08:36):
Yeah, And I feel like also just the way that
the show is kept under wraps, like you have to
go see it, like you just can't find it online.
So even as dancers, like I knew what the show was,
but like I never got a chance to go see
it before I was actually in the show.

Speaker 8 (08:53):
So it was like so interesting going.

Speaker 6 (08:55):
I mean, we got to see a video of the
show once we got hired, but like we were hired
on the job and I was like, shit, I didn't
know what I got myself into, but I'm so excited
about it.

Speaker 3 (09:05):
Oh and for fans of Star Wars, like every character
is truly represented, even job of the hot I mean,
we've seen Darth Vader presented a very different way, which
I loved. But can you share with the audience what
what kind of roles you had, because I saw it
on I saw it like the opening Thursday, and you
started off the show right.

Speaker 10 (09:23):
I was the opener on the ton on the.

Speaker 11 (09:24):
Ton, so there's a ton on stage pretty wild. So yeah,
that's a great visual opener to start the show. And
then I go into jahwas frifty numbers. I'm a Twilic,
I'm a Jedi Stormtrooper at some points, and also Ecba.

Speaker 3 (09:40):
Yeah yeah, and then a little missy here giving us
a car wash.

Speaker 6 (09:45):
My first number is Lance Speeder and you know car wash.
It's like I anybody who's seen Flash Dance, I was like,
I had to do this number at some point. I
also do Grito for two numbers, which is really fun.
He's my whole heart and soul. I have a lot
of fun in that costume. Sometimes I'm an Emperor's Officer.

(10:05):
I also do Jedi on other nights, and then I
do Stormtroopers and.

Speaker 8 (10:09):
Also act war. We like share half of our track well.

Speaker 3 (10:11):
And you get to switch roles here and there too, right,
and so that much keep it fresh.

Speaker 10 (10:15):
Absolutely, it just keeps it, like the show new and
exciting each time. And especially like the audiences, we really
bounce off their energy, so we really like count on
that each show.

Speaker 3 (10:25):
Well, the energy, I mean, people wouldn't stop cheering the
whole time that we're there. And the whole atmosphere is
built because there's like commercials that play before the show.
It's it's a whole whole thing. Like I said, the
show is studying. It's skillfully put together. But I want
to ask the women. It is very very revealing. There's
a lot of skin and it's presenting a birdlefestyle, which

(10:45):
we know, you know that's a classic style of dance
that did show a lot of skin, but it can
be very very sexual. And I like, how you know, Charlie,
you start the show like, let's let's be very respectful
and all that, and I think the audience did. But
did you have any trepidation in getting involved and something
that was so revealing because not only are you doing
these amazing dances like full out professional, but your show, yes,

(11:07):
it's a it's dance.

Speaker 10 (11:10):
But yeah, coming into the show back in twenty twenty,
I was definitely younger, and I had reservations and I
was like, oh, but I wanted to push myself outside
the comfort zone. And I think like, especially with the host,
like setting the tone, like don't be too outrageous to
the women. It's it's definitely done in like a way
where I feel empowered and I'm not just getting heckled at.

(11:33):
It's it done in a fun light through the mode
of Star Wars.

Speaker 3 (11:37):
Well, and it's so beautifully done, like it's so tastefully done.
And you know you're very young.

Speaker 8 (11:42):
Yeah, I hi, guys, I'm twenty two.

Speaker 3 (11:45):
My god, I remember those years.

Speaker 6 (11:48):
I feel like the company does such a great job
at making us feel like we're safe, and they really
do value like our safety the way we feel about it,
like cast members are. They do such a great And
then also there's just no photos or videos, so it
definitely was a really good space to enter into the
burlesque scene to see.

Speaker 8 (12:06):
How it made me feel.

Speaker 6 (12:08):
And then like I have so deeply fallen in love
with burleska as an art and like I just never
want to stop doing it and I feel so much
more comfortable.

Speaker 8 (12:15):
But yeah, just the way they've set it up.

Speaker 6 (12:17):
The way that they've had safety precautions for us has
just made it a really easy entrance into this whole
world and universe.

Speaker 3 (12:24):
So the three of you coming from the world of dance,
you know, we know diversity was a really hot topic
right now and what I love to see in this
we have a black con solo, we have different body types.
We have Darth Vader who's a little non binary. You know,
there's this kind of energy. Can you talk about how
the dance industry has changed. I know you're still very new,
but can you talk about how the industry is changing
towards being more diverse.

Speaker 9 (12:47):
Yeah, it's definitely changing a lot more in the perspective
of I would say body type. Like me personally, I've
always been the American, all American guy, and that looks like,
you know, just boy next door. But I have multiple
other friends who are you know, a little thicker and
like a little more curvy and stuff. And she actually

(13:08):
dances for Lizzo, So it's like even getting put into
that lane.

Speaker 7 (13:12):
That's a broader term for all dancers around.

Speaker 9 (13:14):
So I think, yeah, in the bigger in the bigger perspective,
dance has become a lot more accepted by everyone, just
with even TikTok and little dance like that.

Speaker 7 (13:27):
Everybody can do it, everybody can be apart.

Speaker 3 (13:30):
That's funny you mentioned Lizzo. We just had this, We
had Sunday fun Day in West Hollywood and we were
all talking about Lizzo because she's disappeared, like is she
gonna come back and she's gonna be totally ozemplified, like
like is that what's gonna happen? And like, but she's
been like quiet and undercovered. What's she up to?

Speaker 7 (13:46):
I couldn't tell you.

Speaker 9 (13:48):
Hopefully she is, you know, on the up and up
ever since all of that.

Speaker 3 (13:52):
So that's I'm talking about, like diversity though, because then
you come from Australia, which is like a whole different
type of culture.

Speaker 10 (14:00):
That's why I have so much love for this show
because I was in the industry. I looked a little
bit different there and I just wasn't like bitting into
that box. And this was the first big production that
like fully accepted what I looked like, my body type,
how I danced, And I'll always have a special place
in my heart for that and especially that made me
dive into the world of burlesque and it's all about

(14:23):
championing that and celebrating who you are and that's why
I love it so much.

Speaker 3 (14:27):
And there is a sense of female empowerment, you know,
when we see the dance that you do, when we
see the characters you're able to play, I mean even
playing you know, the Jedis. There's this real sense of empowerment.
And I think it does take an audience back a
little bit because I think it's going to be this
Russia's type thing. And you find out right away when
that Tartan comes out it's sounding different.

Speaker 10 (14:46):
Yeah, especially in the commercial world, like we were usually
dancing in groups and like coming into this show, we
all get a solo. So it's like, how are you
going to own that stage and like captivate the audience
the entire time and to your strengths And yeah, again
I'm obsessed.

Speaker 3 (15:04):
Can you talk about missions to Letto? Yeah? What is it?

Speaker 10 (15:08):
Yeah, it's my little baby that I was doing a
lot back home in Australia and I found there was
a lack of heels training back home, so I did
all my study for it in America, doing a lot
of dance training trips and I came back, and I
felt like there was just a big gap in the
market for mainly women, but all types of dances of

(15:28):
like transitioning from commercial dance into a heel. And I'm
very big on safe spaces, and I like to break
it down in a way that it's very open for
everyone to learn. And it's about, yes, about the dance side,
but more about yeah, like finding your feminine, your confidence,
feeling good in a heel and yes, my little baby,
thanks for asking about it.

Speaker 3 (15:48):
Yeah, yeah, of.

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Speaker 3 (16:24):
And you've you've done heel work too.

Speaker 6 (16:26):
Oh yeah, I've been doing heels since, like even when
I was in high school, probably shouldn't have been, to
be honest, like I was a little young when I
started heels, but I.

Speaker 8 (16:35):
Was in the studio. I wasn't on stage with it.
I was just in the studio. I just I love
a good heel.

Speaker 3 (16:41):
But the same girl I was doing it in high
school too.

Speaker 8 (16:44):
You got it, you got it, the only one I
am yet yeah, not yet.

Speaker 3 (16:49):
Not yet. But it's funny taking a piece of clothing
like a high heel shoe, and you know it's not
the most comfortable for women, and we talk about women
being able to take that symbol over and make it
their own. I absolutely love that. Yeah.

Speaker 6 (17:02):
Well, I think for me, the special thing about a
heel is, like I grew up, I just never thought
I was like the sexy girl, like I always got
told like I have a really young face. I just
everybody's like you'll be on Disney, and you know, I
just never felt sexy. And stepping into a heel like
gave me my own empowerment of my body and like
to be like who fucking s has Like I watch

(17:24):
me do this, and I did it, and here we
are and no one can tell me I'm not sexy.
I mean, they can try, but I'm not going to
listen to them.

Speaker 3 (17:31):
I mean I'm a little but it's okay.

Speaker 7 (17:35):
Sorry.

Speaker 3 (17:36):
Yeah, that lands Leader scene, I was like, did something
move because this was so sexy and it's just about
this sexuality and sensuality and the whole show. It doesn't
have borders. So like, we know a lot of the
people there there to see this, this sexy women. But
then Jonas we have you come out and sexify on solo.
I'm just like, okay, Yeah.

Speaker 9 (17:58):
That's what I really like about it that I don't
start taking clothes till the end of my number. Yeah,
and then it's fun, it's silly. It's like I still
get to play the character and be you know, not
just like an ooh look at me. I'm like sixty
body rolling and stuff like No, I'm actually giving a performance.
I'm telling like a little story. And then and then
you get the naked and so I.

Speaker 3 (18:21):
Just got my eye poked up, like wow, but did
you feel this pressure to kind of like butcher up
a little bit? Because we know Han Solo is the
smash buggler. We know a lot of the guys were
there to see the women and then they see you
dancing around. It's very attractive, but still they're not there
for that.

Speaker 9 (18:35):
Yeah, I mean, I guess I don't really think about
that because everybody can appreciate art, everybody can appreciate your bodies,
everybody can appreciate a great performance. Whether you're you know,
into women or women like, it really doesn't matter to me.
So I just want to give a good performance that
everybody could be like, oh damn, he did that. Yeah,
let me round of applause, Like that's what I want.

Speaker 3 (18:56):
And as the show went on, I feel people's like
insecurities just like went out the door. You know, whether
you're into guys, girls or everything in between, it just
didn't matter because everybody was experiencing this art together and
I thought there was a power And Charlie had a
lot to do with that because you set the tone
right at the end of the show. You had us
laughing from the minute you came on stage till the
minute the curtain of fell. That's a lot of energy though,

(19:19):
it is.

Speaker 5 (19:19):
It is That's why I took in my house like
a hermit crabfinitely.

Speaker 3 (19:22):
Yeah, because you never know how the audience is going
to be and you have to keep that up. You
have to keep the joke's coming. You have to be
on your toes. You can't have like an off time
of it.

Speaker 7 (19:31):
For sure.

Speaker 3 (19:33):
What is your pre show ritual that gets you hyped
up to be able to do this?

Speaker 5 (19:38):
For me, it kind of starts at the house and
just kind of, you know, making sure I'm rested in
a reset because I know once this game on that
I've got to go out there and make sure that
everybody knows what the mission is. It's like, we're gonna
have a fucking good time. Like whatever else you got
going on. We're all in here together, and you just
heard how they spoke about feeling safe and this position
of powers and this women empowerment.

Speaker 7 (19:57):
I've got to.

Speaker 5 (19:57):
Make sure that the audience understands what a goal in
the mission is too, Like, yeah, I understand all of that,
but none of that matters right now.

Speaker 7 (20:04):
You see the art, the beauty, and you.

Speaker 5 (20:06):
Know it's just great when everybody comes together and that
energy just is electric.

Speaker 7 (20:11):
So like being able to.

Speaker 3 (20:13):
Be honest, do you ever wear the Londo outfit in
the bedroom?

Speaker 13 (20:18):
Maybe no.

Speaker 7 (20:31):
I actually got a lightsaber tattoo for the first time.
Eight weeks.

Speaker 3 (20:37):
So where's the tato?

Speaker 14 (20:38):
Yeah, well I told you looking any my first leg
tattoo and it hurt like him leg up. Yeah, I
was like just making a half a lamb lightsap just
stop out a small light slip lightsaber, many light saber
un chunks.

Speaker 7 (20:57):
But yeah, it's We're great. It's a good time.

Speaker 3 (21:00):
Each one of you brings such a different artistry to
the show. What have been some of your biggest personal
challenges in doing the show.

Speaker 5 (21:08):
I can start there easily just because I've been in
stand up comedy for over a decade, so I'm doing
something that's not like in the rim of what a
lot of my friends are doing. So when I catch
up with comedians Joe, what have you been up to?
You know, they're you know, on the role, they're at
the improvs, they're selling out here in theater. Some of
them are you know, south By southw with all the stuff.
Netflix is a joke, and there's a little part of

(21:29):
it has fomo because I'm like, man, I'm out of that.
But you know, I also get to brag about working
with so many talented dancers hit sold out show. So
I've kind of been in a little bit of a
lane of my own that I've learned to embrace and
just kind of take full control of and still just
maximize the opportunity that I do have there.

Speaker 3 (21:45):
But well, I'd hate to say it, but like how
many entertainment people are coming to see the show and
you have the audience in the palm of your hand.
I mean all of us were just waiting for your
next joke, like everything exactly.

Speaker 5 (21:55):
And that's what puts things into perspective, because you know,
if I was in the comedy clubs, now, you seen
twenty other comics that night. But at this show, you've
seen me and some incredible dancers that are not necessarily
in the same thing. They're not competing for the same
roles and opportunities I am. Necessarily everybody does everything in
la you know, she might get book as a comedian
before me, and what the hell? Right, But but no,

(22:21):
you're right, So I do have do see the positive
in that, and I've just learned to just live there
and not focus on whatever else is going on, but
just making the most of the opportunity in the platform.

Speaker 3 (22:30):
I do it so and it's nice to have a
regular paycheck too, you guys have it part from October
to December. First, your friends are getting drink tickets. That's
about it.

Speaker 5 (22:39):
That's true to you, right, And they don't get to
see the same beauty that I get to take part
in it. And they're in the green room smells like
booty and free doos, you know what I mean.

Speaker 15 (22:46):
I mean, that's not a bat. I've got a bunch
of my favorite things, karb some booty. What we have
cars some booty at our show too. I can we
just also have we have to wet? Are you so single?

Speaker 7 (23:02):
Oh? I am.

Speaker 5 (23:06):
It's complicated. It's complicated for sure. But I'm meeting people
I am dating right now.

Speaker 3 (23:11):
Because here's the thing. You had all the women's panties
like wet from your jokes and all that. I can
just imagine the messages you're getting. It's not a talker now.

Speaker 5 (23:24):
But you know what's funny about that is, yeah, there's
some of that, but not as much as a lot
of people may think because women are not as forward,
they're not as aggressive, they're not as that way as
might maybe men were. You know, I've got a friend
of mine who she's a host for magic mic, you
know what I mean. So she's out there. You know,
she might get a lot more hit on your interaction.
But most women that they don't shoot their shot like that.
They'll sit back. They may like your photo, Hey, great

(23:46):
job today, but they won't say much more of this.
So it's like all right, thanks, and then I get
out of the way. So it's interesting. But you know,
i'ven't meet a lot of people.

Speaker 3 (23:53):
But I'm sure sounds like I'm single. But you've got
that accent too, that's.

Speaker 6 (24:02):
Just non I always make I don't make fun of it.
I have fallen in love with the Australian accent. I
just will always say your.

Speaker 3 (24:14):
But what's been a personal challenge for you for the show?

Speaker 10 (24:17):
I think I've put I've just moved to LA two
months ago, but beforehand just dealing with no mad life,
just not having the stability of community. But I'm really
grateful for what I do, so I wouldn't change the world.
But yeah, sometimes it does get a little lonely on
the road.

Speaker 3 (24:34):
People don't realize It's like, yes, you do the show,
but then you're so exhausted. It's not like you're hitting
the clubs. It's not like you're making friends because you
live in this temporary. You're like, well, I'm only going
to be here for a couple more months, and we
may have said hard and even though you're in a
very tight cast, it's still a little lonely.

Speaker 8 (24:47):
Mm hmm. Yeah, Hi, Hi guys.

Speaker 6 (24:52):
I'm going to talk about the logistical aspect of it.
So I am still a student at cal State Long Beach.

Speaker 3 (24:58):
How are you doing all of it?

Speaker 6 (25:00):
That's wild, that's a good question. I honestly don't know
how I'm doing it. I started the show in May
of this year, and I actually had to leave school
a month early to be able to go. And luckily
I hate my professors that I had. Don't tell the
chair of my department because she did not prove this
and I think she would.

Speaker 3 (25:14):
Upset up and I don't tell her.

Speaker 8 (25:16):
Don't tell her. Well, she's not gonna She's okay.

Speaker 6 (25:20):
Anyways, I had professors who were really, really helpful, and
they let me go early. I mean, obviously I had
a bunch of work to make up and do before
I even left, but I was able to make it
out there and it was such a great experience. But
now being back, like I'm in school now, so like
Thursdays are the longest days of my life because I
start class at eight thirty in the morning and then

(25:41):
I finish at three point fifteen, and as soon as
I finished class, I drive like ninety minutes here.

Speaker 3 (25:46):
To LA and that traffic during that time was brutal.

Speaker 8 (25:49):
Listen, I don't awful, I can't. I can't wait to
move to LA.

Speaker 6 (25:54):
But yeah, then I make my drive out here and
then we have a show and then I finish at
what mine thirty at night, which is not that.

Speaker 3 (26:02):
Bad actually, but the type of show you're doing, it's
not like you're just you know, like it's it's.

Speaker 6 (26:08):
It is a lot of energy, and it definitely is
one of those things. Like there's been some nights where
I'm like, ah, it's you know, we're finishing at nine
thirty and I got to go home and I got
to go take a test after and that's.

Speaker 8 (26:18):
That's been really difficult.

Speaker 6 (26:19):
But I think the the hardest part is just like
being in this these two different spaces, Like nobody, at
least at my school, no one's going there to learn
how to do burless because a professional job, like everyone's
learning how to get into a company, and like that's
where their focus is. So it's definitely a space where
I do have some supporters in the school where I'm at,

(26:42):
but a lot of people just don't understand it. They
don't get it, they don't value it, they don't think.

Speaker 3 (26:46):
It's a little.

Speaker 6 (26:49):
I mean, yes, I do think there's that, But I
do think people there are like those type of artists,
which they're valid in their feelings, but they they think
it's less worthy to do or less as a form
of art than it is to do contemporary, which I
definitely don't agree with. I think, you know, we make
people happy and we have fun, and I think that's
just important to put out into the world.

Speaker 8 (27:09):
I think that's the hardest part for me, is dealing
with those two worlds colliding.

Speaker 3 (27:12):
But there's a deep history of burless. I mean, it's
part of our culture. It's part of European culture. I mean,
it's it's steeped in art and beauty. It's not just
some you KNOWOK.

Speaker 6 (27:23):
I definitely agree, but I don't think everyone understands that.

Speaker 5 (27:27):
Like dating to Like, if I'm on these apps and
I swear, oh you're in LA, what do you do,
I'm like, uh so I work on a burdless show.
They automatically. Oh wow, that can throw people all in it.
You got to explain it, No, check it out, you go.
You know, it's something to set up. But if you
don't get it, then got to experience it.

Speaker 3 (27:45):
But I love that you're sharing this. I think a
lot of the younger generation and now I feel so
old just saying a lot of people come to LA
and they're not willing to do the hustle, and they
think that they're going to be a TikTok star overnight.
They think that they don't have to hit the pavement
or drive hours and then do whatever they can to survive.
And you're showing that you have to sometimes.

Speaker 6 (28:04):
Yeah, I mean when I say I literally audition for
the show three times. Like I auditioned for the show
three times, and I would not let them do it
without me. I did everything in my willpower to get
Like I said, I left school a month.

Speaker 8 (28:15):
Early just so I could do this.

Speaker 6 (28:17):
It takes time, it takes effort and energy, and if
you want it, it'll come to you. It's the biggest
thing that I think I've learned from from doing all this.
And like all the cast members are so amazing and
so great and so supportive, like sometimes I get like
burnt out and I'm like, I'm so tired and I
don't know why I'm tired, and they look at me
and they're like, well, it's cool.

Speaker 3 (28:35):
And like you're dancing in your mind. It is probably
like oh god, I have to I have to read
this chapter and I have to do this and oh yeah, yeah.

Speaker 8 (28:40):
I started off.

Speaker 5 (28:43):
Speaking of exhausted, like we do Tipic, like this is
the best schedule we probably had. Oh god, yeah, but
this is still it's it's an exhausting show. But typically
we do a show on Wednesday, a show on Thursday,
two shows on Friday, three shows on Saturday, and then
at Matt and Mae on Sunday.

Speaker 4 (28:58):
So it's a.

Speaker 5 (28:58):
Jam packed wheat every show being one hundred percent energy
and grind.

Speaker 7 (29:04):
And then I turn around and do it again twice
or three times.

Speaker 3 (29:06):
And it's over a two hour show just for those
that haven't seen it, but I mean, it's it's a
packed show. There's downtime.

Speaker 9 (29:14):
So yeah, that's why I think I lucked out because
this is my first time doing the show with them.

Speaker 7 (29:19):
I don't go to dress up like I'm tired. I'm
like you don't know. No, I went to the schedule
the city.

Speaker 9 (29:29):
Yeah, just like, oh, fifteen minute drive from my house
and parking the parking grinds. Oh I got maybe I'll
get start enjoyed.

Speaker 7 (29:45):
Yeah.

Speaker 9 (29:45):
I think the hardest part for me is just trying
to find the schedule Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday when I'm off,
trying to like do things so that I can leave
the weekends to perform and just focus on the show.
But I think, yeah, for me, that's probably the hardest
part about this job.

Speaker 3 (30:03):
I love it now being in the middle of LA,
being part of such a vibrant show, and I mean
fans are coming back to see the show over and over.
It's hard to get a ticket sometimes. How do you
maintain kind of the mental and emotional health And how
is the allure of like being in LA and being
part of the night life because you have to take
care of your body first and foremost, Like you can't

(30:24):
be going out getting crazy. But the allure is they're
all tell me, She's like like, like share that. How
do you bounce that out? Do you guys all go
have crazy nights on the final.

Speaker 10 (30:37):
Well, I think because I'm new here, I'm like let's go,
and I dragged some of the girls out.

Speaker 8 (30:42):
It's we love it.

Speaker 10 (30:43):
We get to a new show where you and I'm like, oh,
maybe you shouldn't. Then we do it all over again
because it's fun. Like, especially coming from Australia like me,
living and driving into Hollywood for work is wild. So
I'm like just trying to make the most.

Speaker 3 (30:56):
Of it for sure.

Speaker 8 (30:57):
But yeah, I drag out Jazzy girl.

Speaker 3 (30:59):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (30:59):
No, I have been such a homebody before and it's
been really good to get out and just explore and
like you know, the queer scene here is just it's
different and it's it's amazing and it's available, and I'm
just trying to get into that world. And cast has
been so supportive and I hate going places by myself because.

Speaker 3 (31:15):
I am I got you a queer cover I got.

Speaker 6 (31:20):
So I forced her to go out with me sometimes
and she's such a good supporter friend and will always.

Speaker 3 (31:24):
Be down to go with me to piggyback on that.

Speaker 5 (31:27):
In terms of like the energy we output, I'm a
big advocate of like self care, taking the time. Like
for me, I have different rituals that help, Like I
drink a lot of tea, y'all know that I have
my teas, my lemons, pretty honey.

Speaker 7 (31:39):
I try to do like a good deep stretch every
day if I.

Speaker 5 (31:41):
Can take five or ten minutes at home or if
not before the show, and then like monthly, I'm gonna
get a massage, you know, if I can find the
song and like all those kind of little things.

Speaker 3 (31:49):
You have to do that self care. Although in LA
be careful, what kind of I know. No, I know
he's goings like, oh, okay, can.

Speaker 15 (32:00):
Get him aside, But my brain feels relaxed.

Speaker 3 (32:09):
Let's talk about this. You know, in the comedy world,
we haven't really talked about mental health and tel I
think through the last decade, Yeah, comedians like Robin Williams
definitely brought it to the forefront. And I know you
have a good grief with Charlie Wilson. You have a
platform where you talk about depression, you talk about grief.
Can you talk about the duality of always having to
be on and making everybody else laugh? And then if

(32:31):
there's that moment that you're like, okay, who's making me laugh?

Speaker 5 (32:34):
Can you talk about that there was there was like
a joke or store that someone said that you know,
there's this guy who goes and meets with this therapist
and he's depressed, and the therapist it's like, hey, you
know what, why don't you go across the street. There's
a great you know, circusac great shell. Go out and
entertain that and you'll have a good time. That's what
you need is go And at the end of the
story he's like, yeah, I'm the clown at the second,
you know, because that's kind of what we have to

(32:55):
do is entertainment. We sacrifice ourselves, our time, our interests
because we have to be this person on stage so
that what we're doing really gets across.

Speaker 7 (33:02):
That message.

Speaker 5 (33:02):
Doesn't matter what we're going through or what we're carrying
or what we've been through. All that matters is what
happens in transit sinds on stage. So for me, good
grief is.

Speaker 7 (33:10):
That safe space. It's that outlet.

Speaker 5 (33:12):
It's that place to say, I know you're doing all
these great things, but you're carrying a lot of weight too.
You know, how are you managing all of this stuff
with all this weight that you've been carrying And is
that still working? And so maybe those conversations open up
more doors for more people that you know, are showing
ways of how they're carrying this, but too often we
don't talk about it, you know, we just carry it
until sometimes that way gets too heavy, and that's when

(33:33):
we're drinking, or we're excessively doing drugs or unfortunately, no
suicide is a real thing. So all this stuff is
possibilities of not owning up to what you're actually carrying
and sitting in. So for me, which I'm looking for,
you know, the next spay a space to where I
can have these sit downs.

Speaker 7 (33:49):
But it's it's so important.

Speaker 5 (33:51):
There's so much Like for me, I've been through loss,
you know, I lost the child you know, earlier in
my life, so I got firsthand experience with grief. So
for me, it's being able to take control of your story,
being able to take control of that narrative and say,
you know, you know, I'm going to take all of
what I've been through instead turning something beautiful. This is
how I'm doing, and then that conversation continue to do

(34:13):
you know, help and encourage.

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Speaker 3 (34:46):
Plus, it's so interesting that grief is such a unifier.
We've all experienced grief on some level, whether it's a
deep loss or whether it's small personal losses and depression.
Something that unifies us. Doesn't matter gay, straight, old, young, rich, poor,
but we still have such a problem talking about it,

(35:06):
and it's the one thing that really brings us all together.
It's so odd to.

Speaker 5 (35:09):
Me, especially artists, because we are expected to see the
brands exactly what we HAVEX.

Speaker 7 (35:15):
This was let's get a photo, let's do that.

Speaker 5 (35:17):
We're so just moving on, and then we go home
and we wonder why we're depressed and miserable and sitting
in a small space like this.

Speaker 7 (35:22):
And I know how to move it's because you're just
they're in it. It's like let it out, talk about it.

Speaker 3 (35:26):
So I'm very and even in the sad space. Then
we have to post a funny picture on Instagram and
hashtag it, right, I mean, it's like, come on, Johnson,
I want to talk about being a dancer. How did
you know you wanted to be a dancer? And we
know being a male dancer is not the most popular
thing to be as a boy.

Speaker 7 (35:44):
Yeah. No, actually I was just talking to my friend
about this. How I'm from Texas.

Speaker 9 (35:49):
Yeah, well, you know that's very sports heavy football, basketball, baseball, track, and.

Speaker 3 (35:55):
Especially as a black man too, you're supposed to do
certain things and that you're sposed to.

Speaker 9 (36:00):
Be strong, be dominant, be did not a little really
dancer or however you want.

Speaker 3 (36:06):
You don't dance really though, I'll say that.

Speaker 9 (36:09):
But yeah, you know it was it was just hard,
and especially being a black, a gay black man, It's like, Okay,
now I have to overcome I have to really try
to overcompensate and be extra masculine and oh no, I
really want to be in football and do this and
play sports just so that I can like try to
like give the perception that I am strong and I

(36:30):
can be athletic and still be you know who I am.
But going into but I mean, I just love to dance.
From the young age, like I just like to be
I like the music. I was always dancing. I probably started,
like for real, taking it seriously about fifteen or sixteen, and.

Speaker 3 (36:45):
Then, which is right in our puberty ears, which are
so awkward anyway, and then having to be comfortable with
your body and then having your peers be like, oh,
you're doing dance.

Speaker 9 (36:54):
Yeah exactly, But I mean I was doing both. I
was doing sports and I was doing dances. Oh what yeah, yeah,
like go to football practice, your first practice.

Speaker 7 (37:05):
Very very well, very well, thank you.

Speaker 5 (37:09):
That sounds like a lot at the same time, because
football is so demanding. You advance seem so demanding, and
they're very different delicacies.

Speaker 3 (37:17):
And they.

Speaker 7 (37:19):
Yeah, yeah it is.

Speaker 9 (37:21):
It's it's very it's just being athletic and being multifaceted.
Like I felt like I could be that person, and
then I just you know, when I was younger, all right,
Now that I look back, I wish I would have just.

Speaker 7 (37:33):
Owned it and just been like, you know, it's not
what I want to do. I want to dance.

Speaker 9 (37:36):
I'm a full time dance and just get into it
and just be who I am, because I probably would
have inspired a lot more people around me to do
the same thing. And yeah, but now I'm glad that
I chose the path I did.

Speaker 3 (37:48):
Football kind of conditions your body too, though. It teaches
you endurance and it teaches you teamwork, and yeah, Empire
Strips Back is definitely a team work for sure.

Speaker 7 (37:57):
Just to give.

Speaker 5 (37:57):
Jones's flowers to while we have here public, I think
han solo performance is probably one of the most like energetic,
like dynamic, you know, Han solos that we've had, just
just so you know, you put.

Speaker 8 (38:06):
Them on the.

Speaker 3 (38:11):
Business. I was like, oh, definitely. And there's that first
moment where it's like, oh, here's Han solo and then
this black guy shows up. It's like, right, what that's not?
That's so against everything what we think of Star Wars,
And I think the audience thinks about it for a millisecond,
and then we're in this world and we believe it.
We take them home. That's and you are shifting now

(38:38):
more into the acting part of it. I am, Yeah,
is that a hard shift?

Speaker 7 (38:42):
It's not.

Speaker 9 (38:43):
I started taking acting classes in like twenty seventeen on
and off, and then I really back, probably during the
pandemic is when I really was like, all right, well
I got time, so let me actually like push forward
in this. And you know, I booked a couple of
roles and things like that, so I think this helped
me a lot, because you know, at the end of
the show, I had to do my little callback and

(39:03):
it's like, okay, I'm getting, you know, prepared for whatever
is to come next by being on stage using a mic.

Speaker 7 (39:09):
And because dancers, you know, we don't talk. We don't
use our voice very much.

Speaker 9 (39:13):
And when we do even this like talking using our
voices kind of like nerve wrecking at first, but then
it's like we talk every day.

Speaker 7 (39:20):
Just do your job, like go out there and.

Speaker 8 (39:22):
Do I don't know how you do it after dancing now,
like you're a beast. Friends.

Speaker 3 (39:26):
Well, and I don't want to give anything away, but
the finale of the show is like the finale to
end all finales. Everything you want is there and like
the song and everything. I mean, I would smiling like
a big old idiot. I was like, this is so good.

Speaker 7 (39:40):
The people who step out or leave right before us
it's like you.

Speaker 3 (39:44):
Don't know, you don't even know what you miss. But
it isn't weird. As artists, things have changed where you
can't just do one thing. You can't just be a
great dancer and be good at it. Now we have
to be good at social media. Now, we have to
be able to act. Now, we have to be able
to be on a podcast. Now, we have to be
able to do this. Sometimes we have to be able
to uber, you know, you know what I mean. These
are things that we have to do, and there's just

(40:04):
so much pressure. It's like it's hard to just focus
just on your art and jazz when I know that
you teach, you teach people of all ages. What are
some of the biggest challenges facing are very young dancers
that are getting into the industry.

Speaker 8 (40:19):
Honestly, I think, well, there's two things. I think there is.
I hate social media for kids. I absolutely despise it.
I don't agree with it.

Speaker 6 (40:28):
You can be mad at me if you want to,
But I just think kids don't understand the dangers of
the internet. Parents aren't good at teaching the dangers of
the internet. And let's be honest, even if the kids
don't have access to what they're actually posting. So many
other people have access to looking at your kid, and
I have just seen I personally know a student of
mine who fell into the trap was talking to a stranger.

Speaker 8 (40:49):
Like it was bad. I don't agree with it.

Speaker 6 (40:51):
Please don't put your kid on the internet, like maybe
a private page for friends and family, but you don't
need it.

Speaker 8 (40:56):
You don't need a so you don't need a social
media like. You just don't.

Speaker 6 (41:01):
The second thing I would say is just there is
so much available at your fingertips, and it's so easy
to get into the world of I'm not good enough,
I don't look like her, Like, there's so much to watch,
and I think it's it's really hard to get students
to focus on like I want you to be inspired
by that instead because I see so many so many
of them will be like, well, this girl is doing

(41:22):
this amazing thing. I'm like, yeah, honey, she's been dancing
for twenty seven years. Also, just like you know, our
bodies change differently. Some people are in touch with them
sooner than others. It took me a really long time,
but I still feel like I'm successful in my career
and happy in my career.

Speaker 8 (41:39):
But yeah, It's just like it takes you time.

Speaker 6 (41:40):
Some people have better access, some people have more money
to just be able to see and go and do
and live and breathe dance. There was a moment for
me where I had to clean my studio so that
I could afford to dance, And like, that doesn't devalue
my experience. It doesn't mean I'm gonna have any less
successful of a career. If anything, I think is it
taught me a special love for it that I think

(42:03):
some people who are just gifted dance on a silver
platter don't really understand. And I think that's for me
mental health. With dance, I always say, I teach a
lot of competition. I care not at all what place
they get, because I'm like.

Speaker 8 (42:16):
Did you do your best? Even if you got last place?

Speaker 3 (42:19):
But you did your best even getting on the stage.

Speaker 6 (42:21):
Getting on the stage, and I'm like, did you have fun?
If you walk off the stage crying, I wish you
never went on the stage because why would I wish
that upon you? Why would I wish that stress upon students?
So I that is my biggest thing. Did I ask
that question, I don't know.

Speaker 3 (42:35):
I went done, no, no, but I did get some
questions and I'm assuming these are from dancers, and the
questions were really about body issues. We know the show
is very it celebrates the human body, and it celebrates
the body in all forms and all different areas, and
it's beautifully done. But as dancers, your body is first

(42:56):
and foremost, and even you know, on stage and other people,
people are like, okay, okay, okay, okay. Can you talk
about you as artist and how you work through certain
body issues and how there's always that pressure. It's like, oh,
I can't have free doos and booty. I can have
the booty, but not the free doos because I.

Speaker 7 (43:16):
Can start that off and make it real quick.

Speaker 5 (43:19):
As a teenager, like I was a husky kid, you know,
I was a kid that want you to play basketball.
Is like, for whatever reason, somebody thought it was a
good idea to say, hey, how about we be shirts
and y'all be skins.

Speaker 3 (43:28):
I was like, stupid. I still have terror from just
the thought of yes, right exactly. It's so embarrassed you're
not always be on the wrong team. Yeah.

Speaker 5 (43:37):
I was like, no, y'all need more over there with
the shirts. So it was awkward for me. You know,
people can be mean. So it wasn't until like my
mid twenties, late twenties, so I moved from Texas to
New York. When I moved first moved to New York,
just the nature of the city. You're walking around a
lot more. But I started like shit and kind of
take control of my body level. But I also had
to become comfortable with just who, you know, where I

(43:59):
was at the moment.

Speaker 7 (44:00):
So I'm bracing where you are right now.

Speaker 5 (44:02):
You got to relax your shoulders and kind of just
feel good there and continue to make progress, but you know,
continue to feel good right where you are right now.
So I definitely kind of had some little bit of
a depression because in your early twenties, there's no reason
to be built like a forty four year old man.

Speaker 3 (44:16):
You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 7 (44:19):
Exactly, got no kids, but you gotta find like a
damn what are you doing?

Speaker 5 (44:22):
But that was me, and it was tough, you know,
because when it's time to go to the pool, when
it's time to the pool and all your friends are
in their bathing suits and you're like, oh, I got
shirt up, I gotta do something.

Speaker 7 (44:32):
Everybody's good, damn. So it was tough.

Speaker 3 (44:34):
But you know the funniest thing is we're always harder
on us. People would be like, okay, swimming when it's
us and everybody's looking calm down right.

Speaker 10 (44:44):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (44:45):
But finally I've started taking better care of myself and
being more aware of what I'm eating and trying to
I know, I'm gonna have a sweet tooth.

Speaker 7 (44:51):
I know I'm from Louisiana, so I'm gonna eat, I'm
gonna have parts. I'm gonna get free those and booty.
It's gonna happen, you know what I mean.

Speaker 3 (44:56):
So that'll be your next comedy special freedom.

Speaker 7 (45:00):
Open it up.

Speaker 5 (45:05):
As you eat frewn chaps. But for sure, yeah, self care.
I take care of yourself and feel good right where
you're at.

Speaker 7 (45:18):
That's that's big.

Speaker 10 (45:20):
I think like being in a dressing room full of women,
you can start to just automatically like compare. But I think,
especially being in the dance captain role, I have to
like really check myself and I don't want that type
of energy, so I really try to make sure if
someone starts to comment on their own body, I'm like,
we don't do that here. We're going to celebrate ourselves
and I do that as well, But it's really just

(45:42):
like being a leader, Like we just can't have that
energy in a show like this, We're always just like
gassing each other up because then it will just create
like a better atmosphere for us all. But yeah, it's
definitely normal and a thing. But it's just like checking
yourself and be like, nope, that is not serving me.
Let's yeah, what do I love about my body? And
this so much to love about every single one of us. Yeah,

(46:04):
I'm piggybacking off of that.

Speaker 6 (46:05):
I just feel like, Yeah, cast is like such a
She's just so amazing. I just feel like she really
makes sure that we're all supporting ourselves in each other
and maybe she gets in her head a little bit,
but she really does hold up the room. But I
also feel like, specifically as a woman, obviously I can't
speak to being a man because I am not one.

Speaker 8 (46:23):
Uh you know, men people don't tell you as much
about your body.

Speaker 6 (46:27):
But as a woman, I think you grow up in
a world where like people will tell you what.

Speaker 8 (46:31):
They think about your body, about your body.

Speaker 3 (46:33):
Yeah, men do have it easier. We see beautiful women
with the most hitious men I've ever seen in my life.
And they love it and it makes the work.

Speaker 8 (46:41):
Well, they got to have money usually, so I'm like, but.

Speaker 3 (46:46):
Even like, growing up, we're taught Disney princesses look a
certain way. Yeah, we're always yeah, like always, So I
totally agree with you. Women have definitely hard.

Speaker 8 (46:57):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (46:58):
The beautiful thing about the show though, is like often
we're on the side watching each other's numbers, gassing each
other up. Like I've had days where I'm like, that
is probably the worst I've ever done that number, which
probably is still not bad because you know, we've practiced
shit done. But you know, you just have days where
you feel off and you feel bloated and whatever, and
you had something happen in the morning and blah blah.

(47:18):
But then you walk off stage and your friends are
there and they're supporting you, when everyone's in the same
boat with you, and it's it's a really lovely space
to be in.

Speaker 3 (47:26):
Can I ask you something about your queer identity? Yes,
you know there's the assumption that, oh, a male dancer,
oh he must be gay, because that's and that's largely
not always the truth. But as a queer woman, have
you found any pushback? Has it been harder for you, Uh.

Speaker 8 (47:44):
I think I exist in a lot of queer spaces.
That's just where my heart lies.

Speaker 6 (47:49):
I also I am trying to exist in a lot
of black spaces, So I think there's like something inherently
that you know, they feel the struggle. Similarly, individual people
can be weird about it. I've luckily in my professional
career when I'm getting paid, I've never had the issue
of people treating me differently, people saying weird things. But

(48:10):
growing up and like being in a studio, I was
publicly out in the eighth grade, and that, yeah, don't
necessarily recommend it all the time, but there's definitely people
who would be weird and didn't want to be around
me and force me to kind of look in on myself.
But I also just think, like those people aren't for me,

(48:30):
those spaces.

Speaker 8 (48:31):
Aren't for me.

Speaker 6 (48:32):
I've gone to classes where that is the energy of
the room, and I'm like, that's not going to serve me.
I don't want to work on this job with this
person if that's the space that I'm going to be in,
Like I don't need that money. Like I always just
think like energy comes back around and like none of
that is worth it enough to me, it's going to
come back in some way to bite me either, like
in my own relationships, if it's going to mean I'm

(48:54):
going to get tired and burnt out, I just don't
want that. I want surround myself with it, and I
will walk out the door if I'm treated that way now,
period period.

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Speaker 9 (49:37):
But I'm on the opposite and like when I don't
work out and stuff and I just skinny and and IM.

Speaker 7 (50:00):
Let me could it's only dad.

Speaker 9 (50:03):
Whenever you being skinny man, you know, and getting in
this industry, especially whenever I moved out here in nineteen
twenty twenty one, I was very small and shriveled.

Speaker 7 (50:14):
Don't nobody want to see.

Speaker 9 (50:15):
Somebody like small and just not getting strong next to
Mariah Carry or next to Mary J.

Speaker 3 (50:21):
Blige Carey because we don't know where she's going to be,
and she's like, I don't want to skin an peoplenywhere near.
That's like.

Speaker 6 (50:33):
She's coming Twilight Era and Tomriai carry Zone.

Speaker 3 (50:38):
But it is funny that you mentioned that because we've
had we've had models and actors on ear before. It's like,
you know, like you and I remember husky times in school,
but there was the plight of also being too thin.

Speaker 9 (50:52):
I am, and I'm sure, So it's like I have
to like over I have to over concentration because you know,
I feel like a good average height for a male
dancer is five eleven six foot. You're just tall enough
for you know, the tallest female artist, and you're tall
enough to match you know, the male artist. So it's
like that's the perfect kind of height. I'm five to nine,
so it's like I maybe have to wear like a little.

Speaker 3 (51:20):
Missions to letter.

Speaker 9 (51:23):
But yeah, like that's where my kind of body dys
morphia comes from.

Speaker 7 (51:28):
It's like, well, dang, I got to be in the gym,
I got to get bigger.

Speaker 9 (51:30):
I got to like eat more so I can get
heavier and so my chest can look bigger, and like,
you know, that's just where I'm at with it, and
that's where I've been at.

Speaker 3 (51:38):
Well, Harrison Ford wanted to send a desist letter because
you look like that.

Speaker 7 (51:44):
I'm thirty one now, so I feel like.

Speaker 8 (51:46):
My grown loomy Yeah right, I love this for you.

Speaker 9 (51:51):
My body is holding on to more more calories now
doesn't look like it.

Speaker 8 (52:01):
But even if it did, it would be okay.

Speaker 3 (52:02):
But it doesn't. Well, yes, Charlie, how did you find
your sense of humor? How did you find that? Were
you the class clown?

Speaker 7 (52:11):
Certain?

Speaker 3 (52:12):
Did you get the humor from your family?

Speaker 5 (52:14):
My dad was one of those guys. I'm Charlie Wilson
the third too, so I have my dad. My grandfather
came from Charlie's. I was raised in Louisiana, Report Louisiana,
a small town, country town.

Speaker 7 (52:24):
You know, I was very different.

Speaker 5 (52:26):
You know, my parents, my mom's from La who when
I heard my dad met, they moved to Louisiana together.
They both worked hard, they bought a house. We were
the only blacks and this whole neighborhood. You know, this
is nineteen in the early nineties, late eighties, So it
was different for me to try to feel comfortable with
people who didn't necessarily look like me. And then when
I did go to a school that was more blended
with black or still I was still I spoke different.

Speaker 7 (52:45):
My best friend's name was Dylan. You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 5 (52:47):
I was like, well, now, my black friends, I'm trying
to get to the whole tomorrow, yo, Okay.

Speaker 7 (52:51):
So it was because I mentioned of the worlds.

Speaker 5 (52:52):
But comedy, for me, helped make that just kind of
fluent for every But the comedy is the language that
everybody speaks.

Speaker 7 (52:57):
They can hear, they can appreciate, they can respect.

Speaker 5 (52:59):
So for me started like our power will go out
sometimes Louisiana with weather, and I used to come up
with this thing called family moment, so power will go out,
nothing's on.

Speaker 7 (53:09):
I'd be like, all right, y'all, it's time for a
family moment.

Speaker 5 (53:11):
We get in front of the fireplace or the TV,
and I'd be like, yeah, remember that time, I'm gonna
take us out to dinner and we'd be like, I
want to spry. She'd be like, hey, oh no, you're
getting some water and we all laugh or whatever. And
but I never tied comedy to my lifestyle. I just
knew one day I wanted to be an actor. I
want to be in Hollywood. But as I grew up
and moved to Texas, I did like a theater production
of play and like one of the producers did comedy

(53:32):
and he heard me kind of goofing off on stage.

Speaker 7 (53:33):
When they was like, man, you should try this.

Speaker 5 (53:35):
So when I moved to New York, that sea was planted,
and I was like, I don't know anybody in New York.
Even if I'm trash, nobody knows who.

Speaker 3 (53:46):
To gain because how many scene in New York is
no joke, No, it's a club. Like to even get into.

Speaker 5 (53:53):
That, you have to do it's what's called bringer shows.
So they book you for a show, a Broadway comedy,
come to New York. You had to bring at least
ten people with you to perform or you didn't get
no time. And I like, I just moved here. I
don't know ten people, so I'm on the I was
on the train inviting people. I had flyers like please
that yeah, yeah, yeah, And you know, I stayed on
from there and then I started producing my own shows.

(54:14):
Then I started hosting like live music showcases and uh
did that work with the Wendy Williams Show, which was
a blast.

Speaker 7 (54:20):
That was my first time on TV.

Speaker 3 (54:21):
You know, we got a listener question show. I think
I know who this person is too, a regular like
entertainment correspondent, and he wants to know what your uh
what your experience was on the show because it looked crazy.

Speaker 7 (54:36):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (54:37):
Well, the good news I can't even say the good
news because that sounds like shape. But the interesting news
is I didn't work directly with Wendy. You know, I
worked with her producers. So we did this, you know,
these on the street talk segments where we had a
bit that I would cover the holiday season is coming
up and I would kind of get some funny feedback
on that.

Speaker 7 (54:52):
So mine was I was very Wendy Williams adjacent.

Speaker 5 (54:55):
You know, I would have liked to move into more
audience warmer role and those kinds of things, but it
just didn't didn't work out. But it was my first
time receiving a check, you know, I'll never forget. I
took a photo of the check from the show, and
I was so inspired. And then I did so well
where I was selling cars at the time, because I
still had a family support, you know, I was selling
Cadillacs and Queens. But they still were like, Charlie, like,
maybe you can just write some stuff for us, And

(55:16):
I was like really, I was like, I can write
out some materials, some jokes, and they would use that
and I got paid. So New York was just inspiring
for me, and it just gave me all the ammunition
I needed.

Speaker 7 (55:24):
To like, I'm going to keep figuring this out. A
great time.

Speaker 3 (55:27):
Nice and you moved to LA you moved to Chicago.
Where do you call home?

Speaker 7 (55:33):
The next the next girl?

Speaker 3 (55:34):
I ended up meeting them on these apps.

Speaker 5 (55:36):
I don't know, so Louisiana is where my hometown is,
of course, but yeah, nobody even knows where I'm from.

Speaker 7 (55:45):
Everybody's like, aren't you from Vegas.

Speaker 5 (55:46):
I'm like, no, I lived there for a couple of years,
right we did. Yeah, so this is a crazy story.
I would make it quick, but I was living in
LA for about four or five years from New York, right,
and I got my first TV credit on the Laugh
After Dark or the producer were impressed, we had a
good chemistry. They were like, hey, we want to do
a new season of Flap of the Dark. We want
you to host it. Would you be interested? And I
was like, Hell, yeah, that's what up here for. So

(56:08):
we're supposed to shoot this brand new season the Flaps
out of the Dark, and we're sold out because we
got like two filming dates, but our film dates were
March seventeenth, twenty twenty, so no, literally that same week,
we get the news the news and hey, everybody was
kind of temporary lockdown. So we waited a week and
a half. Nothing ever happened. Of course, they would just

(56:30):
never reopen, so we shot a podcast. I went to
Vegas because Vegas opened up a little bit more than
La did at the time, So I went out there
to do a comedy show and just on a fluke,
I killed that comedy show. But my boy, Big Irish
Jay Shout Out the Irish Day, invites me to this
venue downtown Vegas to just do a guest spot. It's
like five minutes popping kind of a thing. So I
go do that and have a really great set. The
owner happens to be there that night, and my producers

(56:53):
on the show happened to come to support me. We're
rolling together, and that led to hey, you, where are
you from? What are you doing? That led to a
call that led to a meeting. He basically allows us
our residency inside his venue in Vegas. So we pivoted
to Vegas and we shot a show called Laugh after
Dark Live in Las Vegas, hosted by Charlie Wilson, feature
in the Freemont Funk bands. We had a live band
absolute time in my life, and that was what I

(57:15):
was doing before I got the call for the Empire,
So it was it was a It was a smooth
transition that I could have asked for because I was
selling motorcycles, I sold time shares, I was selling cars,
I was doing everything else.

Speaker 3 (57:25):
Like I said, artists, sometimes we have to do that.
Oh yeah, this story is great because it tells artists
like sometimes you just have to say yes. You say yes,
you never know what's going to happen.

Speaker 5 (57:33):
And I moved to Chicago and I've never even been
to Chicago with this show. I went to Chaga once,
but they were like, we need a New York host
and in Chicago host, I was like, I lived in
New York. I don't know if I want to struggle
like that again. So I went to Chicago. We did
eight weeks there when we started talking to Chicago. So
I'm grateful that I trusted the process. And you know,
it's great to talk about now because it's I'm just

(57:55):
now past the year mark.

Speaker 7 (57:56):
By the year and some months.

Speaker 3 (57:57):
Yeah, yeah, because I had the benefit of being able
to interview cast members from Dance Life. They were students
at Brent Strains Straight Yeah, yeah, and it was such
a different kind of conversation and we talked about the
younger generations not hustling. Going to Brent Street you hustle, yes,

(58:18):
or else you are literally left behind. Can you talk
a little bit about how the dance environment is different
in Australia than it is here in the States.

Speaker 10 (58:26):
I think because it's such a small pocket of people
and that you have to impress. It's very very competitive,
and I think like there's a mindset of you got
to follow these steps in order to be successful. And
my journey wasn't like that. So I think I still
get in my head like, oh am I successful? Am
I not because I didn't take those certain steps, But

(58:47):
I'm so glad that I didn't because I've been able
to do things that I never thought were possible. But
it's very, very tiny back home. Everyone knows everyone for sure.

Speaker 3 (58:56):
Yeah, yeah, Jonas work the World tour. Yes, I can't
even imagine what that must have been, like, well, what
shenanigans were happening.

Speaker 7 (59:11):
Well, what happens on the bus stays on the bus, so.

Speaker 3 (59:14):
Not on.

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Speaker 9 (59:54):
Because oh because will you tell us?

Speaker 3 (01:00:00):
Yes?

Speaker 9 (01:00:01):
No, they're super fun and their personalities are very much
their personalities. Like what you get on the show is
what you get in real life. Like, you know, they
have their time to you know, we're chilling. We can
all sit and talk like this. But when you get
a bunch of gays around together and you get in
a tour bubble and you know, people do get on
each other's nerves and you know, sometimes you just gotta

(01:00:24):
have a discussion and things like that. But for the
most part, we had a good time. We would go
out after this.

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Speaker 9 (01:01:01):
So's especially if we were in a new city none
of us have been in and I couldn't. It was
the best time of my life for sure. I was
going through a break up when I first booked it,
so it like kind of took me away from LA
and I was like, Oh, there's other people in the world,
not just this one man.

Speaker 3 (01:01:20):
Did you have a rebound drag queen? Because you don't
have to say the name, but.

Speaker 9 (01:01:23):
No, I didn't. Almost, but no I didn't. That's just
I don't shit where.

Speaker 6 (01:01:28):
I eat, fad that's fair.

Speaker 3 (01:01:31):
Okay, So this brings me another question, and we got
asked this question a few different ways. You know, even
though you guys have such amazing chemistry on stage, there
we go Answers are artist, Comedians are artist, Actors are artist.
There's ego, there's fast changes you guys are doing. There's
somebody got the solo this week, but then next week

(01:01:53):
you're the team captain. So you kind of have to
keep yourself a little separated, but you're still ladies.

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Speaker 3 (01:02:29):
What's happening backstage? Has there been any okay already, so
you don't have to, like say, certain experiences, but like,
how do you work through some of we all have
our diva moments? Backstage can be very difficult, especially in
a high pace show like this. Audience claps a little
bit more for one song one segment than the other night.

Speaker 10 (01:02:52):
You know.

Speaker 3 (01:02:54):
I love how everyone got real quiet.

Speaker 10 (01:02:56):
Honestly, this cost has been amazing. I've had issues with
best costs before, but I think they just did really
well with grouping a bunch of really lovely people together.

Speaker 6 (01:03:06):
Yeah, I would agree with that, I definitely think. I mean,
obviously not everyone is meant for each other in like
the best friends type of way, but I think this
entire cast is really good at being like respectful and like,
even if you know I'm not your cup of tea completely,
we're not going to be best friends.

Speaker 8 (01:03:22):
Like that doesn't mean I don't respect you.

Speaker 6 (01:03:24):
That doesn't mean like I enjoy your presence, but I'm
not going to go home and text you like twenty.

Speaker 8 (01:03:29):
Times a day, like it is still work.

Speaker 6 (01:03:31):
But you know, we have fun where we're our cast,
our room. It's just like a sleep ever not. We
make a lot of ticktogs. I say random ship all
the time. I call the other two mom and dad.

Speaker 7 (01:03:46):
I don't.

Speaker 6 (01:03:48):
Yeah, I also I just I say I have ADHD
and I just I just randomly blurt out things like
I don't know I have. Should I share the tattoo story?

Speaker 8 (01:03:58):
I feel like I should.

Speaker 3 (01:03:59):
I don't know what it is, but yes I.

Speaker 8 (01:04:01):
Have the I can't believe I'm sharing this on live.

Speaker 6 (01:04:05):
I have a tattoo behind my ear that says who
says dot dot dot, and like I randomly brought it
up whatever it's not I'm talking about it. I don't
know we were talking about it all at all. I
just kind of forget I have it because it's I
can't see it. And I saw it in the mirror
and I was like, oh shit, I have a tattoo.
You guys they were like, good to know, but the sweetest,
kindest way ever.

Speaker 16 (01:04:23):
And they were like, this is another maid on the
Rocks Excited my DM on Twitter and Instagram and on
the Rocks on air. Find everything on the rocksport free
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